Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) paused unexpectedly during a news conference after the weekly Republican luncheon on a Wednesday, drawing the attention of those in attendance. His voice drifted off and a blank expression crossed his face for what seemed like an age as he continued addressing the progress of the National Defense Authorization Act and complimenting the bipartisan cooperation. Concerned coworkers stepped in to see how he was doing.
Wyoming Senator John Barrasso asked, “Everything alright, Mitch?” To ask, “Do you need a moment, or should we wrap up?”
On the one-year anniversary of the passing of the Democrat-led Inflation Reduction Act, McConnell briefly stepped aside to let South Dakota Senator John Thune and others address the press. McConnell returned to the press conference around ten minutes later to wrap it up.
Asked by reporters about his health, McConnell calmly responded, “I’m doing fine,” before answering their questions.
McConnell’s staffer later told Fox News that the senator had felt dizzy and had to leave the room for a moment. But he came back to field questions with his customary acuity.
McConnell, then 81 years old, had fallen in a Washington, D.C., hotel and sustained a concussion and a cracked rib; he had to spend time in an inpatient rehabilitation facility to rehabilitate before returning to his Senate duties.
We were all concerned when he had that fall a few months ago and banged his head, but he’s showed remarkable resilience,” Senator John Barrasso remarked later to reporters, referring to McConnell’s rehabilitation. He did a fantastic job of leading our conference, and he fielded more questions than usual.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst added, “As far as I know, everything’s alright, and I believe he’s doing well.”